Jaune's Superrific Quest For Power
by Constable Paperbag
Summary: Inspired after watching a superhero flick with his friends, Jaune decides it's about time he unlocked his semblance. With the help of his friends, he will become a superpowered hunter just like them. Stand aside, citizens. There's a new hero in town. Action, drama, thrills, this origin story has it all. Except pictures. This isn't a comic book. Sorry.
1. Chapter 1

**Look up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's me!**

**This was originally going to be a one-shot, but then I saw the word length, and I decided to break it down into three chapters. If you're reading this in public, read out loud. It'll be tons of fun.**

* * *

Team RWBY and JNPR huddled around the TV screen in awe of the visual masterpiece that their eyes had witnessed. Friday night was film night, a ritual forced by Ruby and accepted by everyone. Every week, someone different got to choose what movie they would all watch. This week was Nora's turn, and she had picked a real humdinger of a flick - _Axolotl-Man 2: Rise of Fish-Woman! _

Superhero films were always accepted by the two teams. Even Weiss learned to lighten up and enjoy a good ol' fashioned, heart-stopping, badass action scene for what it was. There was something for everyone with these kinds of films; Jaune and Ren got to see some cool fight scenes, and the ladies got to see muscular men in skintight costumes. It was a win-win.

Jaune drank in the film like Axolotl-Man drank up water. Gods, why wasn't he that cool? He worked out, he fought crime, he even did a bit of swimming from time to time. He should be just as badass as that fictitious fishy freelance fighter. But, as always, fiction was always cooler than reality.

Oh well, at least he had popcorn. Jaune ate some popcorn.

Jaune suddenly remembered he hated popcorn.

Jaune gagged.

As the credits rolled, Ruby punched the air and cheered. "Woohoo, that was awesome! Did you see the way Axolotl-Man took down that guy by poking him with his spikey thingies? That was my favourite part."

"It was impressive," Weiss agreed. "The first one had a better plot though. Fish-Woman wasn't as strong a villain as what Doctor Eels was. But that final fight was well choreographed."

"Pfft, forget about the action, did you see the abs on that actor?" Yang purred. "Man, that guy can carry me in his arms any day. Sign me up to get rescued, Mama needs a hero."

"Yes, what a great film," Blake sneered, her voice laced with sarcasm. "My favourite part was when the director made the only faunus actor in the film the villain. How progressive and-"

"BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!" Nora suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs. Everybody winced from how loud her voice was.

"Nora, what was that for?" Ren scolded.

"Oh, sorry," Nora said. "That's just my 'Blake sucks the fun out of everything' alarm going off. As you can see, it's working pretty well."

Blake looked offended, mouth hanging open. "Well, excuse me for seeing problematic issues when they arise in mainstream media-"

"BEEP! BEEP!" Yang began shouting. "Oh wow, you're right, Nora. This thing's great. I could get used to this."

"Told you," Nora winked.

"Don't you start too!" Blake snapped at Yang.

"BEEP!" Ruby shouted, then giggled. "Hey, this is pretty fun."

"Ruby, no!" Blake cried.

"BEEP!"

"Stop it!"

"BEEP!"

"Enough!"

"BEEP!"

"No more!"

Very soon, all three girls were crowded around Blake beeping their hearts away. Blake's hands struggled back and forth between covering her human ears and faunus ears at the same time. She slipped off the couch and ended up hunched on the floor, looking like she had indigestion. Her protests had been well and truly beeped out of her.

"I find superhero movies rather surreal to watch," Pyrrha said. "Stories of people with extraordinary abilities are fascinating to me, because… well, aren't we all superheroes in our own regard?"

"Awww, I think you're swell too, Pyrrha," Nora cooed, giving her an affectionate head pat.

"Very funny," Pyrrha chuckled, playfully removing her hand. "But think about it: we each have a semblance that is completely unique to us. We have the kind of power you'd only see in films such as this. In that sense, we are already living breathing superheroes. We are fiction come to life. It's an interesting thing to think about."

"Hey, you're right," Ruby agreed. "With my semblance, I'm just like that speed superhero, Mr Quick. How cool is that?"

"That is a good point," Weiss mused. "In any case, my power is far superior to Axolotl-Man's - I don't need to breathe underwater, I can just summon people to do it for me."

"I was excited when my semblance was revealed to be similar to Invisisnooze," Ren said. "He has the power to turn invisible, meaning he can nap in peace. An enviable lifestyle, to be sure."

As everyone started getting excited and talking about their semblances, Jaune shrunk into his seat, trying to stay out of the conversation as much as possible. Another reminder of why he was so painfully uncool: he still hadn't unlocked his semblance.

Everyone else had an awesome power they could call their own. Not him. He was the odd man out, the other, the runt of the litter. He was a powerless noodle surrounded by titans. The fact that he didn't have his own special ability pretty much solidified the fact that he _wasn't_ special.

And you know what? That sucked. It wasn't fair. He wanted nice things too, you know!

"Yup, semblances sure are cool," Nora said. She turned to Jaune. "Hey, Jaune, what's your favourite thing about having a semblance?"

Jaune couldn't answer. He couldn't even meet her eyes.

"Ohhhhh, yeaaahhhh," Nora said, looking guilty. "You still don't have a semblance yet."

"I do _have _a semblance," he hotly corrected her. "I just haven't unlocked it yet."

"That's basically the same thing as not having one."

"No, it's not!"

"Well, you can't use it, can you?"

Jaune's lips pouted. "... no."

"There we are then. I'm right."

His loving partner rubbed his back. "Don't worry, Jaune. You'll discover it eventually," she promised. "And besides, I can name loads of superheroes who don't technically have superpowers. You have Punch-Man, Ser Kicks, Gun-Boy-"

"Jaune doesn't have a gun, either," Yang pointed out.

"Oh, yes…"

"Great, that's two things you guys have over me!" Jaune whined.

"Oh, enough," Weiss said. "Stop complaining. Having a semblance is not paramount to becoming a hunter. There are plenty of perfectly capable hunters out there who get by without semblances."

"Name five," Jaune said.

Weiss blinked. "... who, me?"

"Yes, you."

"Right now?"

"Yes, now."

"... well, I can't think of any off the top of my head, but I'm sure they exist. Probably."

"I knew someone in the White Fang who was a former huntsman, and he didn't have his semblance unlocked," Blake said.

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Yes, thanks, but I'd rather you didn't compare me to a terrorist, Blake."

"For your information, he was one of the deadliest warriors in our unit."

"_Was_?"

"Oh yeah, he died. Slipped on a banana peel. It was surprisingly gory."

"Not helping."

"Sounds like you're screwed, Jauney Boy," Yang joked. "Don't worry, at least you've got a bunch of sexy badasses to save you when things get hairy. Maybe you should dress up as a pretty princess for when you get into distress?"

"As kinky as that sounds, I don't wanna keep living like this," Jaune groaned. "It's embarrassing watching you guys go super fast, or turn into a walking nuke, when all I can do is block punches with my face. I wanna be like you guys. I want a power too."

"If it's that big a deal, why don't you just unlock your semblance already?" Ruby asked.

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Oh, sure. I'll just unlock my semblance," he said, speaking as though he was talking to an idiot. "Because that's _soooo_ easy; all you need to do is awaken the dormant power that lives in your soul. I don't suppose you have any soul keys I can use to unlock it?"

"She's just trying to help, Jaune," Pyrrha said.

"But that's just it, I don't want help! I want my special superpower!"

"Maybe your semblance is being a lil' bitch?" Yang snickered under her breath.

Jaune crossed his arms and huffed. He didn't expect them to understand. It must've been nice being born with amazing talents, and a stomach that didn't churn like a whirlpool when on a bullhead. He'd like to see them walk a mile in his shoes. They wouldn't last a day.

"Ruby does have a point, though," Ren said. "Unlocking your semblance will greatly benefit you. Not only will it give you a 'special superpower', but it will also help you understand yourself a little better. Your sense of purpose will be renewed, which will help you in your career as a huntsman."

"But that's the thing, I don't know how to unlock it," Jaune said. "I thought getting into enough fights would cause it to awaken by now, but apparently not."

Then again, he hadn't exactly won all of those fights. He could count on one hand how many fights he had won. And on one finger for that matter…

"Not all semblances are unlocked via combat," Blake said. "I know mine wasn't. Sometimes it depends on how you're feeling, or what you're thinking about. It varies from person to person, but each is a personal experience."

Jaune shrugged. "Like I said, I've tried everything. Nothing works."

A pregnant pause hung in the air as everyone put on their thinking faces. Jaune awkwardly twiddled his thumbs as he waited for someone to speak.

"Okay, fine," Weiss sighed.

Jaune frowned. "Fine, what?"

"I know what you're about to ask: 'can you guys help me unlock my semblance?' It's already on the tip of your tongue."

"I wasn't going to ask-"

"Maybe not right now, but you would have eventually, so we might as well get it out of the way now. Besides, it's about time you discovered it anyway, and I'm tired of listening to you moan. So, yes, we will help you."

Jaune was surprised. "But I thought I had to unlock it by myself?"

"Meh, not necessarily," Yang said. "It's not like we'd be unlocking it for you. We can just give you that extra push you need."

"You wanna help too?"

"Sure, what the hell? I'm curious to see what power you've got cooking up. What strength lurks in the souls of vomit boys?"

"Oooh, this is gonna be fun," Ruby squealed. "It's like we're watching the origin story of a superhero. Maybe you'll turn out like Axolotl-Man?"

"Oh, hell yeah! I wanna see my leader become a superhero!" Nora cheered.

"This may be interesting," Blake murmured. "Count me in too."

Jaune felt humbled. Very soon, everyone was agreeing to help him unlock his semblance. He hadn't felt this level of progress since his first sparring session with Pyrrha.

Naturally, he agreed to their offers to help him. This was amazing. Starting tomorrow, he'd be one step closer to achieving his destiny. He couldn't wait to find out what kind of power he possessed.

"Now then, don't expect it to be easy just because we're helping you," Ren warned. "Unlocking a semblance can sometimes be just as dangerous as fighting Grimm. Just as long as you're aware of that."

Jaune wasn't concerned. How could he be? He was working with his friends. What's the worst that could happen?

* * *

**Be sure to pick up Issue 2 when it hits shelves. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Previously on JSQFR. Jaune and friends were watching a superhero film and- why the hell am I writing this? Just read the chapter. If you're a first-time reader, and you're reading chapter 2 before the first one, you're freak! That's right, my readers are freaks! Just like superheroes. And spiders.**

* * *

The next day, Operation Supernoodle was ago. Jaune had several complaints about the name, which went lovingly ignored by his friends.

As he travelled with Ruby to Argus on the bullhead, he secretly hoped his semblance would somehow eradicate his motion sickness. That'd be an added bonus, alongside whatever cool superpower it would give him. At least Ruby was enjoying the flight, humming a tune while her fingers tapped against Crescent Rose. She really did take that weapon everywhere.

"How's it feel, Jaune?" Ruby beamed. "You're one step closer to discovering your true self. Are you excited?"

"Yeah, of course I'm excited," he said. "But I still don't understand how seeing my sister is gonna help me unlock my semblance."

"The path to enlightenment is often clouded by mystery," Ruby mused. "Just be patient, grasshopper."

"Can't you just tell me already?"

"No can do. If I just tell you what's gonna happen, it won't feel personal because you're already expecting it. You gotta go in blind, it's the only way."

"I know, I know. But I've lived with Saphron my whole life. If my semblance didn't awaken back then when I was around her, why would it now?"

"Back then, you didn't have me to help," Ruby said. That was her final word on the matter. Jaune used the rest of his energy to force his lunch to stay in his stomach for the rest of the flight.

Ruby skipped out of the bullhead when they landed, with him limping slowly behind her. He required at least five minutes for his stomach to settle.

"So, this is Argus, huh?" Ruby said, looking around the city. "It's nice. Kinda chilly, but nice. I can see why you're sister would choose to live here. Speaking of which, where's her house?"

"It's on Camari street. Apartment number seven," he said.

"Awesome."

"It's just a tram ride away from here, but if you wanna walk, it'll only take-"

"Oh, we're not going to your sister's house."

"... we're not?"

"Nope. We're going up there."

Ruby pointed to the tallest hill overlooking the city. It was at least a thousand feet high.

Jaune looked at her, trying to find the joke in her expression. There was none. "Are you serious?"

"We're about to unleash your true potential, of course I'm serious."

"Ruby, look at the size of that thing. There's no way I'm climbing up it."

"I thought you wanted to unlock your semblance? Well, this is how we do it."

"Yeah, but aren't we also here to see my sister? Isn't that why we sat on an hour-long flight in the first place? How does climbing up that hill have anything to do with that?"

Ruby stomped her foot. "Jaune, if you keep questioning things, you're gonna suck the magic out of everything," she complained. "You're sound like one of those bratty kids who purposely spoil Christmas for the rest of us."

"I'm just saying, this doesn't make any sense-"

"I'm sorry, who's the one with her semblance unlocked?"

"W-Wha?"

"Who's the one with her semblance unlocked?"

"You?"

"That's right, and it is my professional opinion as a semblance-wielder that we go up that hill, and you stop complaining!"

Jaune sighed. There was no point arguing. Ruby was about as stubborn as him when it came to getting her way. "At least give me a minute to catch my breath. You know what I'm like on flights."

"Uh-Uh, there's no time for that. We gotta get up that hill before sunset." She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him towards the hill, where apparently his superpower resided.

The hill looked much steeper when they were standing at the bottom of it. Jaune grumbled under his breath. Had he known he was doing this, he would've worn hiking boots or something. His legs felt exhausted just from looking at it.

"Onward and upward!" Ruby cheered, shooting up to the top of the hill in a flash thanks to her semblance. Lucky…

Jaune slogged his way up the hill. His legs gave way after ten minutes, and he was forced to crawl the rest of the way. He was virtually underwater with all the sweat pouring off of him. Why did he have to pick today to wear his hoodie? He tried taking it off, but his fingers lacked the strength to get a good grip on it.

Just a little further…

So tired…

So thirsty…

As he slowly reached the top, looking like a dehydrated man in the desert, his scroll started to ring. He somehow managed to answer it.

"What?" he wheezed.

_"Oh good, you're still awake," _Ruby said on the other end. It was infuriating how energetic she still sounded. _"I was worried you had passed out."_

"Nearly… there…"

_"Cool. Just checking, did you say it was Camari Street your sister lived on?"_

"Yeah… apartment… number… seven…"

_"Yes, I knew I got it right. I'm looking at it right now. Gotta say, love the doorknob they've got. Very shiny."_

"Why… don't we just… go to her-?"

_Oh, quiet, quiet! I see her now! Awww, I can see the family resemblance. You two look so alike - except, you know, you're a boy and she's a girl."_

"You… don't… say…"

Jaune had to take a break. He stopped crawling and laid down against the soft grass. He was so close to the top now. He just needed a few seconds to get his breath back. It would be so easy to fall asleep right then and there.

_"I can see her talking to some woman now," _Ruby said.

"Tanned skin? Glasses? Brown hair?" Jaune asked.

_"Yep."_

He chuckled. "That'll be her fiance, Terra. They're getting married sometime next year."

_"No way, seriously? That's so cute!"_

Jaune smiled. He was happy for his sister, but a part of him was dreading the wedding. Knowing his sister, she'd make him dress up as a flower girl or something.

_"So, do you have a good relationship with your sister?"_

"You bet I do. Oh, sure, we got on each other's nerves at times, but I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. We're as close as you can get."

_"Aww, you little softie."_

"You're the one who asked."

_"I know, I know. But seriously, it's great to see you care about your sister so much. Family should be important to any rising hero."_

"One hundred percent."

_"Yeah. Geez, I'm almost gonna feel bad about doing this."_

"... feel bad about doing what?"

_"Oh, just a minute, she's standing up now. I've got a clear shot."_

A clear _what_?

Suddenly, Jaune felt like he had enough energy to outrun a racehorse. He scrambled up to the top of the hill. He saw Ruby lying on the grass, aiming down the sights of Crescent Rose.

"Just a little bit further," Ruby whispered to herself, finger resting on the trigger.

Oh, heeelllllll no!

"What the hell are you doing?" Jaune shouted.

Ruby jumped a little, suddenly aware of his presence. "Jaune, not so loud," she hushed. "You're gonna throw me off balance."

"I'm gonna throw you off this cliff if you don't point that gun somewhere else!"

"Wow, rude. What's gotten into you?"

"What's gotten into me? You have a freaking sniper rifle pointed at my sister, that's what's gotten into me! Now get rid of that thing!"

"What, I can't stop now! We're one bullet away from unlocking your semblance!"

"Bullshit, you're about to shoot my sister!"

"Right! That's how we're gonna unlock your semblance."

"... what!? What the hell are you talking about!?"

Ruby looked at him like _he _was the idiot. "Haven't you ever read a superhero origin story? They almost always have a dead family member in their lives. Manbat, Arachnid-Man, Superior-Man, the list goes on. You need at least one dead person you care about in your life.

"Same thing applies to real life," Ruby continued. "Look at me. I don't have a mom, and I've got my semblance. Yang has two moms non-existent in her life, and she's even stronger than me. Hell, look at Ren and Nora. Those two don't even have families, and they're a couple of badasses. Point is, everyone needs dead people. That's how you get superpowers."

Jaune had a feeling that if he shot Ruby in the head with her own sniper, the bullet wouldn't be able to pierce her thick skull.

"Ruby, I'm gonna say this slowly so that you can understand," Jaune said. "Put the gun down, or you're gonna need that speed semblance to outrun your bullets when I shoot you with your own sniper."

"Come on, think of the possibilities you could get from this!" Ruby reasoned. "You could get a super cool edgy power, like summoning demons or something! The coolest heroes are always the most tragic!"

"It's not tragic if I stand by and say, 'Yeah, Ruby. Shoot my sister,' it's stupidity!"

"Fine, fine," Ruby sighed. "But I don't wanna think I brought all this ammo for nothing. How about I shoot Terra? Or is she not important enough to you?"

"You're not shooting anyone!"

"How about I promise not to kill them? I could shoot off a finger? They'll barely even notice it's gone."

"I am two seconds away from calling the police!"

Speaking of police, the sound of sirens could be heard from above. Ruby and Jaune looked up, and jumped out of the way just in time as a police car dropped from the sky.

Two chubby policemen got out of the car. Their uniforms reeked of justice and doughnut icing. The two pulled out rocket-launchers on the pair of them.

"Freeze, police!" Officer One shouted.

"We overhead that you two homophobes were about to shoot a lesbian couple!" Officer Two said. "We're a progressive community in Argus, and we won't stand for this kind of bigotry! You're under arrest!"

Jaune put his hands up in the air and gulped. Just great. He was only two chapters into his origin story, and he was already being sent to jail. Ruby was right about one thing: his life was about to get very tragic.

"Wait, no, you've got it all wrong!" Ruby cried. "He's actually related to one of those gays! We were just gonna kill her so that he can unlock his semblance!"

It astounded Jaune how she thought saying that would diffuse the situation.

"A likely story," Officer One sneered. "Now get in the car. Where you're going, you'll have the straight bent out of you."

Ruby glared at them. "You'll never take me alive, copper! Although, if I do die, Jaune might unlock his semblance." She turned to Jaune. "Sorry, Jaune. But I don't feel like dying today."

Then, with the help of her semblance, she zoomed off into the sky, leaving a trail of rose petals behind her.

Alone and outgunned, Jaune tried a peaceful approach. "Listen, Officers-"

"He's resisting arrest!" Officer Two screamed, pulling the trigger on his rocket-launcher.

The rocket that hit his face was surprisingly gentle, compared to what Jaune was used to.

[/]

Jaune wasn't in prison for very long. After hearing about what happened to him, Weiss paid the bail of five-thousand lien. Thankfully, she blamed Ruby for his situation more than him. As punishment for trying to kill his sister and running away from the cops, her team gave her a slap on the wrist.

Apparently, it hurt.

Going back to Weiss, it was her turn to help him unlock his semblance. At least her plan didn't involve any dead relatives, but she did offer him the chance to kill her father if he wanted.

He declined.

No, her plan involved him… essentially going to another prison.

Jaune poked his head in the doorway. The room Weiss had chosen for him was simplistic in design - a single room complete with a small kitchen, one bed, a shower, a washing machine, and one toilet. The walls were stark white, like they had been painted with the surface of the moon in mind. No windows.

"This place will accommodate to all your basic needs," Weiss said. "There's enough food in the fridge to keep you well-fed, and the plumbing works just fine. You'll be able to live almost as you would normally."

"This doesn't look so bad," Jaune said. It reminded him of the rooms in Beacon for visitors travelling alone.

"Don't let appearances fool you," Weiss warned. "While you're here, you will be cut off from the outside world. There's no WiFi or signal here. You'll be completely on your own."

Jaune checked his scroll. True enough, he wasn't getting any bars.

"You really think this kind of isolation will help me unlock my semblance?" he asked.

"It's possible," Weiss said. "I unlocked mine due to my feelings of loneliness. I wanted to tear down my prison and break free, and my semblance answered my call. Perhaps yours will do the same?"

"I dunno. I've never felt like a lonely person before. I don't think my semblance will be built around that."

"It can't hurt to try. Now then, if you have a look at the door from inside the room, you'll notice something interesting about it."

Jaune went into the room and looked at the door. He noticed what she was talking about immediately.

"There's no door handle on this side," he said.

"Exactly," Weiss confirmed. "This room can only be opened from the outside, and only I have the key. This is to ensure that you won't cheat by going outside and talking to someone."

"Wow, that's… making me feel a bit uncomfortable."

"Good. Isolation should never be comfortable." She rested her hand against the door. "Before I close the door, I need you to tell me you're ready for this. So, are you?"

The total cutoff from the outside world was a little daunting, but he wasn't too concerned. Compared to what Ruby had planned for him, this seemed much easier to deal with.

He nodded. "I'm ready."

"Wonderful. I'll see you in two weeks."

"Wait, hold on, two weeks-?"

But before he could protest, Weiss closed the door on him, leaving him alone in his small, quiet room.

Two weeks? He thought he was just staying here for a weekend. Two weeks was… more than a weekend!

Wow, it really was quiet in here, wasn't it? He couldn't hear anything outside. The walls must've been soundproof.

Jaune sat on the bed. Oh well, no point complaining about it. He could make the most of this. He had a room completely to himself, with no distractions to annoy him.

This would be nice. Two weeks on his own. In silence.

Peace and quiet.

All by himself.

Quiet.

Oh, so, quiet…

[/]

Everyone waited patiently as Weiss unlocked the door to the room where Jaune was 'contained', as she had put it.

"Do you think he knows it's been two weeks now?" Ruby asked Pyrrha.

"Hard to say," Pyrrha hummed. She had tried texting him asking how he was doing, but she never got a response. "Weiss, would he be able to keep track of dates in there?"

"I'd be impressed if he could," Weiss said. "I wanted to make him feel as isolated as possible. The less he knows about dates and time, the better."

"So, in other words, it's unlikely he knows how long its been?"

"Most likely."

Pyrrha felt unsure about this. "Do you think he's going to be okay when he comes out?"

"Of course," Weiss scoffed. "He's a huntsman-in-training, after all. And besides, if things have gone as well as I hoped, he'll have unlocked his semblance thanks to this. He'll be even better than what he was before."

"Let's hope so…"

A click was heard from the lock as Weiss finally unlocked it. She pushed the door open. "Okay, Jaune, time is up. You can come out… now…"

Weiss trailed off. The rest of the gang poked their heads in to get a better look.

"Whoa," Yang murmured. "Vomit Boy sure has made himself at home here."

That was one way of describing it. The walls had scratch marks running up them, like something had tried clawing its way out. Some of the scratch marks were formed into letters, although the messages they read were incoherent nonsense.

His clothes were littered everywhere, scattered all over the floor and leaning against the walls. For some reason, there were pillows stuffed into the head holes of his shirts. Upon further inspection, Pyrrha noticed that the pillows had faces drawn onto them. It was as if Jaune had tried making people out of spare clothes and pillows.

"Looks like he's made some new friends," Nora muttered, poking one of the pillows. She flinched when it sagged.

And then there was Jaune himself.

He was couched in one corner of the room, rocking back and forth wearing nothing but his underwear, presumably because he had used all his clothes to make his pillow people. His back was turned to them, and he didn't react to their arrival.

"Does he even know we're here?" Ren whispered.

"Uh, Jaune?" Pyrrha said carefully. "Two weeks have passed. You can come out now."

Jaune slowly turned his head, eyeing Pyrrha like a startled animal. His big blue eyes were wild, his pupils were like tiny pinpricks.

"Oh, hello," he said with a manic smile on his face. "I've not seen you before. Did Bob let you in? Naughty Bob! No one's supposed to come in here!"

Who was Bob? One of his pillow friends?

"No, Weiss let us in," Pyrrha said gently. "You remember Weiss, yes?"

"Weiss..." He spoke the name like it was foreign to him.

"Yes, Weiss. And my name's Pyrrha. P-Y-R-R-H-A." She spelt her name out for him.

"Pyrrha…" he muttered. "Pyrrha's the name of a real person… are you a real person?"

"Yes, I'm real, Jaune. So is everyone here - except for these pillow things you've made."

"Real… you're real... you're real!"

"Yes, yes, that's right. We're all real. We're here to take you out now- mmmpf!"

Pyrrha's thought process screeched to a halt as Jaune grabbed her face and slammed his lips against hers. She barely had time to comprehend what was happening, before he pulled back with a loud smack.

He held her beaming red face in her hands, smiling at her like she was an angel. "Look at you!" he gasped. "Look how real you are! Look at this solid, fleshy face of yours! You're so beautiful! All of you are so beautiful!"

He pulled her into a tight hug, frantically kissing her neck. Pyrrha couldn't find the energy to move a muscle.

"I… don't think he unlocked his semblance," Ruby said.

"We don't know that just yet!" Weiss snapped. She didn't want to be proven wrong so quickly. "Jaune, may you please demonstrate your semblance for us?"

"Your voices!" he cried, in between kissing Pyrrha's neck. "You all sound so different! So unique! I love you all!"

"I think there's your answer, Weiss," Nora said. "The only thing super about him is how super crazy he is now."

"Drat!" Weiss sulked. "I thought for sure this would work! Of course, the fault is entirely his and not mine. I can't be blamed for him not learning how to adapt."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Blake shrugged.

"Maybe we should get him to a doctor before he starts getting a little too grateful with us," Yang said. "Whaddya say, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha looked down at her (admittedly insane) partner showering her with affection. She felt his bare, muscled frame cling onto her possessively, those impressive pecs of his brushing against her arm. Each kiss to her neck felt electric. Her lips tingled, begging to be graced by his again.

Her hands dared to reach out and touch him, pulling him closer. She looked back at the group. "He looks fine to me," she said meekly.

[/]

After many hours of counselling, a lot of social interactions, and a fond farewell to Bob, Geoff, and Gunther the pillow men, Jaune was a well-functioning person again.

Just in time to partake in Blake's experiment. How thrilling.

"Semblances and superpowers have a lot in common, in the sense that they are all discovered differently," Blake explained. "There is no one singular way to unlock them, they are all completely unique. Some can be a result of exposure to your environment, others can be shaped from a significant childhood memory… and some can even be discovered from ingesting certain substances."

Blake pulled out a strange purple leaf from her pocket and placed it on the table.

"My favourite superhero, Black-Panther-Faunus-Person, gained his powers from consuming a magical plant that gave him superhuman abilities. That was all it took to turn him into a noble crusader for faunus kind."

"I never pegged you for a comic reader," Jaune said.

"I will read anything and everything with a compelling storyline. Especially ones with strong social justice morals."

Nora could be heard shouting 'BEEP!' from outside the door. Blake cringed at the noise.

"That sounds all well and good, but does eating something in the real world unlock your semblance?" Jaune asked.

"There have been stranger cases of people unlocking their semblances. I knew of a girl who unlocked her semblance by accidentally swallowing a dust round. Now she can spit them out like a machine gun."

The plant looked tastier than a dust round, that's for sure. But Jaune didn't like how purple it looked. It looked like something not of this world, and nothing that purple could be healthy for someone.

"And you think eating this plant is gonna help me get my semblance?"

"This isn't any ordinary plant," Blake said. "It's a unique species, native only to the island of Menagerie. It grows in a sacred field, and can withstand even the harshest of winters."

"Why's it purple?"

"Beats me. Its physiology is unknown."

"You don't know anything about this thing, and you want me to eat it? What if my cheeks start puffing up, or if I grow a tree inside me?"

Blake shrugged. "Your aura should counteract any unwanted side effects. If not, I trust in Nora's medical capabilities to nurse you back to health."

Jaune gulped. This felt like a huge risk. He considered his options carefully. He could either eat this strange plant and become a badass, or he could go back to living the life of a normal schmuck.

…

… well, his mom always told him he needed to eat his greens. Or, in this case, his purples.

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained," he muttered, taking the leaf in his hand and munching down on it. The taste wasn't unpleasant, kinda like eating a salad with a bit of spice to it. It tickled his throat as he swallowed it.

The two sat in silence, waiting for the plant to work its magic. Jaune's fingers tapped against the table.

"How do you feel?" Blake asked eagerly.

"Okay, I guess?" he said.

"Do you feel anything special? Can you feel something inside of you awakening?"

"Not really. I just feel a bit silly for eating a leaf."

"Interesting," Blake murmured. "Maybe this one doesn't have any side effects to it. I should collect more plants and have you test them."

"I appreciate it, but I think I'll-"

All of a sudden, it was like someone had poured a rainbow down Jaune's eyes. Dazzling bright lights shimmered and jumped out at him from all angles. The vibrant kaleidoscopic effect bombarded his senses, turning his brain into a pile of mush.

"Jaune?" Blake's voice could be heard faintly.

He couldn't answer her. A thin line of drool trickled down his mouth. His soul had left his body and was floating freely in this colourful paradise.

Farewell, universe. Jaune Arc was leaving the building.

[/]

_Groooooooovy…_

[/]

The next morning, Jaune woke up to the sound of ringing in his ears, and his body feeling like a broken jigsaw puzzle. Even in his groggy state, he knew something was wrong.

He awoke to find himself lying in an alley, face down in a puddle of what he hoped was water. A dog came over and cautiously sniffed his face. He lazily slapped it away, sending it barking off into the shadows.

Blinking back his dizziness, he staggered back onto his feet. Speaking of feet, he looked down at his ankles and saw a load of lien tied to them. There had to be at least over two-hundred lien strapped down there.

Panicking, he reached into his pants - or shorts, why was he wearing shorts? - and pulled out his scroll. Thank the Gods he still had one thing that was familiar. Looking at his reflection, he saw himself wearing nothing but a tie around his bare chest, and a pair of sparkling pink shorts. The words 'Arc-licious' were written on his chest.

So many questions and not enough answers. His head throbbed as it tried in vain to put two and two together. All he remembered was something about a purple leaf and-

"Oh, it's you! Wait there, dude!"

Jaune turned around to see a guy with spiky silver hair running his way. For some reason, his legs made a metallic sound every time they moved.

"Uh, hey there?" Jaune said to this grey stranger.

"Listen, I'll just get straight to the point, cause I respect you too much to bullshit you," Spiky Hair said. "I don't know how you did it, but last night was one of the greatest nights of my life. I know as a stripper, you probably get that a lot, but I swear to whatever asshole God is out there, we had a connection. I didn't even think a guy could do this to me, but when I was with you, I felt like I found a piece of myself I didn't even know was missing."

Jaune blinked dumbly. "Oh… er, thank you?"

Wait, did he just say stripper?

"I don't need you to feel the same way," Mr Clanky Legs continued. "Don't worry about my feelings, I can take it. I never received any love growing up, so I'm just grateful I got to know what it feels like at least for one night. You gave me something I'll remember forever. You're the best, man. A fucking angel."

What the hell did he do last night?

Jaune tried acting like he knew what he was talking about. "Oh, you know, don't worry about it. Just happy to help out."

The guy looked like he was fighting back tears. "Of course you'd think it's no big deal," he croaked. "If only there were more people out there like you, man. Maybe things would be different? Maybe-"

"Mercury? Where the hell are you?" Another voice - a girl's - shouted from afar.

Mercury sighed. "I gotta go now. Don't come looking for me, you hear? I'm bad for you. I'm like poison. You deserve someone better than me."

"... well, thanks for your honesty."

Jaune was about to turn around when Mercury quickly grabbed his face and planted a big fat one on his lips. His senses were still to dulled to do anything about it.

Mercury pulled back. "I gotta go," he said. "Oh, and word of advice, I'd stay out of Vale this October if I were you. I hear things are gonna get… animalistic here, if you catch my drift."

Another question added to the growing pile in his mind.

As Mercury ran off, Jaune checked the map on his scroll. Okay, at least he recognised where he was. All he needed now was a cab ride home, and then he could put some clothes on. He was missing his hoodie already. If he was quick enough, hopefully no one would recognise him, or see what he was wearing.

Then his scroll started to ring. The caller ID was Yang. He answered it.

_"Yo, Jaune," _Yang said._ "You doing okay, bud? We kinda lost you when you disappeared yesterday."_

"I've just woken up in a gutter," he groaned.

_"Ouch. That must've been some party you had last night. _

"Couldn't say. I don't remember a thing. I've skipped out on an entire day of my life."

_"So, you don't remember if you unlocked your semblance or not?"_

"I doubt it. Only thing I've unlocked is a massive hole in my head where all my memories can fall out."

_"Okay, no prob. Well, if you're not too busy, swing on back to Beacon. I got an idea that could help."_

"Alright, I'll be there soon. Actually, do you think you'll be able to give me a lift? I got some cash to repay you."

_"Fiiiiine."_

"Oh, and do me a favour; when you see me, promise not to laugh."

_"Laugh? Why would I-?"_

"Just promise."

"_But-"_

"Promise!"

_"Alright, alright, sheesh. Just sit tight, the No-Fun-mobile is on its way."_

[/]

Yang laughed. Of course she had laughed. Even when he tried paying for her silence, her hands were shaking too much to accept the money. She could barely concentrate on the road, swerving around like a maniac until they reached their destination.

It was a miracle that no one was around campus to see him scurrying around in nothing but a tie and the bootiest of booty shorts. He found his clothes scattered piece by piece in different hallways of the academy. Apparently, his past self thought it would be a fun idea to have a game of treasure hunt waiting for him once he got back. It seemed the only person who could bully Jaune more than Cardin was Jaune himself.

How deep, poetic, and really freaking annoying.

Once he was ninety-nine percent dressed (he was not climbing the roof just for one sock), he reunited with Yang to conduct experiment number four.

"I got good news," Yang said. "Unlike those other crackpots, I'm not gonna shoot any of your relatives, or lock you in a room, or feed you wacky plants."

"I'm liking this idea already," Jaune said.

"Great. Then you're gonna love this."

Yang pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and handed them to him.

Jaune frowned. "You're not gonna ask me to draw a perfect circle, are you?" he asked.

"Nope. In fact, I don't want you to do anything perfectly today. That's not what this is about. Today's all about expressing and embracing all our flaws. Because, at the end of the day, we're all just mistakes on legs. Especially you."

"... sorry, I thought you said I was gonna love this."

"You will. As in, you will love to hate it."

"Seriously, Yang."

"Alright, alright, lemme explain," Yang said. "So, my favourite superhero is the Incredible Sulk. You know, big green guy, strong, and with the kind of rage not even a backrub from a group of kittens can cure?"

"Yes?"

"Awesome. Then you know the angrier he gets, the stronger he becomes. Well, that's kinda the same way I unlocked my semblance. I was so frustrated by all the bad things in my life, that one day, it all just exploded from within me and bang, I got myself a semblance. Now, you strike me as a guy with a lot of misfortune in his life-"

"Thanks," Jaune scoffed.

"-so maybe yours will unlock the same way. So now, I want you to write on that paper all the things that trouble you. Get all those negativities bubbling up inside you, and flush them out onto this paper here. If we're lucky, that might give your semblance the hint to finally wake up."

That almost sounded professional. Jaune was surprised to hear Yang come up with an anger management session that didn't involve punching his problems away.

"So, I just need to write stuff here that upsets me?" he asked.

Yang nodded. "Yup, and don't tell me you can't do it. You've always got that kicked puppy dog look in your eyes. Just write whatever troubles you, even if it seems small."

Jaune tapped the pen against his cheek thoughtfully. "Hmmm… well, I hated having to wake up today in alley almost completely naked."

"Ooh, yeah, that's a good one," Yang agreed.

Jaune thought harder. "I also hated the way Cardin used to bully me. That sucked. Not even aura can stop a wedgie from hurting."

"Nice! Write it down, Jaune!"

Jaune grinned. He was getting into this. "Yeah, and I hate how I never got accepted into any hunter schools, so I had to fake my transcripts-"

Jaune shoved the pen so hard in his mouth, he almost swallowed it. At least it shut him up.

Yang frowned. "Wait, what was that last bit?"

Sweat dripped down the back of Jaune's neck. "Oh, haha, nothing," he stammered. "Just venting, you know? We all say things that don't make sense when we're angry."

"Yeah… but it sounded like you said you forged-"

"Nah, I'm just really frustrated right now. I'm talking nonsense."

"But-"

"Blub blub blub!" he blurted out.

"What?"

"See! That's the kinda stuff I say when I'm crazy angry! I need to write stuff down before I get even crazier! You should go! Blub blub blub!"

If there was an argument to be fought here, Yang wasn't having any of it. She raised her hands in the air and slowly started to back off. "Okaaaay, I'm just gonna go now. See you in an hour. Good luck with your soul-searching."

She left the room, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts. His tension left his body as he released a huge sigh. That had been too close. Had he said anymore, he would've written his own death warrant.

Speaking of which, writing! He needed to do that! He had so many frustrating thoughts inside his head, more than Yang realised. Maybe there was something to be found in this self-therapy?

He took the pen, and the ink bled out his thoughts onto the paper.

[/]

"You had him write out all the things troubling him?" Blake asked Yang as they made their way to the dormroom. "I must say, that's pretty mature of you, Yang."

"Come on, gimme some credit here, Blake," Yang groaned. "Not every problem can be resolved with violence… well, unless you're me, of course."

"Perhaps I'm being optimistic, but I think this plan may actually work," Ren said.

Yang clapped her hands. "See! There's one member who believes in Team Yang. Do I have anymore… takers… what the hell is that?"

Everyone noticed what she was talking about. A noise that could only be described as the death cry of a thousand electric guitars echoed around them, bouncing off the walls and causing their ears to ring like a church bell.

"It sounds like music," Pyrrha winced.

"You call that music?" Weiss snarled, clamping her hands over her ears. "This is an assault on my mind! That _noise _is an insult to all things musical!"

Not even Pyrrha, in all her politeness, could argue with that. "I suppose it is rather loud," she murmured.

"Even I can't listen to this!" Ruby complained.

The only one who was enjoying themselves was Nora, who was headbanging enthusiastically, humming happily like she was listening to birds chirping.

"Argh, I'm sick of this!" Yang shouted. "When I find the idiot playing this, I'm gonna make them swallow their damn guitar!"

The music got louder the further they went down the hallway. Many of them wisely raised their aura, if only to stop their ears from bleeding. Eventually, they came to the source of the heavy metal nightmare - Team JNPR's dormroom.

"Isn't Jaune in there?" Blake frowned.

Yang's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, he is…"

They opened the door, unleashing more screeching guitar riffs that sent poor Weiss flying into the wall. Her upper-class upbringing was no protection against rebellious rocking and rolling.

Jaune was indeed inside. Only, they could've been forgiven for mistaking him for Jaune's emo twin.

There comes a time in a teenagers life when they go through an edgy phase. Jaune looked like the living embodiment of that phase. His mop of yellow hair was jet black and hung over his eyes like dripping ink. Instead of his Pumpkin Pete hoodie, he wore a baggy T-Shirt with the logo of some rock band on it. He had upgraded his acoustic guitar to an electric one. He was just as awful playing that one too.

Jaune gazed at them with his singular red eye (was he wearing contacts?) that wasn't hidden beneath his black bangs. "Hello, my fellow lost souls," he murmured like a zombie. "How are you today in this endless suffering we call life?"

"... peachy," Yang said, horrified at what she was looking at.

Yang jolted when she felt Pyrrha's stone-like grip on her shoulder. She turned around to see Pyrrha with a smile that was trying to hold back her murderous rage. "_Yang_," she said in a tight, controlled voice. "What did you make my partner do again?"

"Nothing!" Yang cried. "All I told him to do was write down all the stuff that bothers him on paper! I never told him to dress and act like one of Blake's family members!"

"She with the hair of the sun speaks the truth," Jaune confirmed. "I did as thou commanded. Here be the list of all the woes my soul cries out in the darkness."

In his hand was a piece of paper. True enough, it was a list of things that got on Jaune's nerves. The further they read, however, the more poetic and melancholic the list became. Drawn in the corner were pictures of spiders, skulls, and all manner of symbols that would get you kicked out of a church.

"This all reads like song lyrics," Ruby said, eyes scanning the paper. "Really really _bad _song lyrics."

"You said it," Blake hummed. "Although, the bit about the endless ocean of tears is rather impressive."

"Yeah. Who knew Jauney could be such an Edgy McEdgepants," Nora said.

"He's not," Ren said sternly, turning to Jaune. "Jaune, what's this all about? You've always been a bit overdramatic, but never like _this_. What happened to you?"

Jaune gazed at him with a frown so deep, it looked like half his face was melting off his head. "My story is as short and painful as Stormflower, brother," he whispered. "The golden one's exercise has taught me one thing, and it's that my existence is flawed. Having seen all my faults laid out before me, my very being is spiralling down an endless abyss of torment and misery. Failure follows my every step. I can never escape."

"And for those of us who don't speak fluent emo?" Yang groaned, rolling her eyes.

"I think he's saying, once he saw how many problems he wrote down, he became depressed and started acting like… this," Pyrrha translated.

Jaune nodded, causing his neck to creak like an opening door.

"Well, thanks a lot, Yang!" Ruby moaned. "You made Jaune mopey. Guess this now makes you the only dumb blonde in the group."

"Hey, it's not my fault he turned my self-therapy session into a pity-party!" Yang cried. "I was just trying to help him unlock his semblance." Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute… his semblance! Jaune, did you unlock your semblance during all this?"

"Er, you might wanna read paragraph forty-seven," Nora said, still looking at the list. Yang looked over her shoulder to read it.

_'Even after my dark awakening, my inner power lays dormant like the shrivelled seed of a beautiful flower. Even my own soul loathes my existence.'_

"Well, crap," Yang grumbled. So much for her plan.

Jaune started strumming a few chords on his guitar. "You guys wanna hear a song I just wrote?" he whispered. "It's called Salem Has a Point."

"Alright, that's it," Ren said, walking up to him and grabbing him by the arm. "Nora, grab his legs. We're getting him into the sunshine."

They lunged at him. Jaune tried protesting with various poems and hexes, but in this case, the pen wasn't mightier than the sword. Ren and Nora easily overpowered him.

"Unhand me!" Jaune wailed. "The darkness is my home now! The light burns!"

"Come on, mister," Nora said. "Let's turn that frown upside-down. We'll get you some of that ice cream you love."

"You fiend!" Jaune gasped. "You seek to poison me with sweet confectionery!?"

"It'll be fine. Just think happy thoughts."

"Never!"

Ren and Nora dragged Jaune kicking and screaming away. No doubt he would be subjected to going outside, smiling, and talking about his problems. How awful for the poor boy.

"For the record, I still think shooting his sister would've resulted in a less depressed Jaune," Ruby said.

[/]

It wasn't that hard to bring Jaune back to his old happy self. One spoonful of Pumpkin Pete cereal fed to him by Nora wearing a bunny mask put an immediate smile on his face, and eager to try and unlock his semblance again.

Ren walked briskly through the hallway. A bundle of books were tucked under his arm; books on psychology, spiritualism and meditation. All manners of studies focused on the mind. He had specially requested them from the library.

When it was his turn to help Jaune, he planned on going through them all with his leader. Smart minds made smart hunters, and if Jaune understood more about how the mind worked, he would perhaps unlock his semblance.

When he entered his room, he saw Jaune and Nora inside. Not an unusual sight normally.

Although, Jaune strapped to an electric chair with Nora's hand on the lever was a little odd.

"Oh, hey, Renny," Nora said, cheerful as ever.

"How's it going, man?" Jaune casually asked.

Ren blinked slowly. "I'm almost afraid to ask," he said.

"Don't look so concerned," Nora said, rolling her eyes. "I'm just helping Jaune unlock his semblance, like everyone else. We're just doing it the Nora way."

"The Nora way?"

"Yup. You remember when we were kids, and we were walking through that big storm? Remember how I got struck by lightning, and that's what unlocked my semblance?"

Ren looked at Jaune, then back at the chair. The warning sign on the chair read two-thousand volts under a picture of a skull and crossbones…

Realisation hit him like a thunderbolt soon to be going through Jaune's head.

"Oh, no. We are not doing that," Ren said firmly.

"Come ooooon," Nora moaned. "Don't rule out possibilities just yet. We'll never know if it'll work until we try it."

"Not everyone is like you, Nora," Ren said. "What if he doesn't have a natural affliction to electricity? What if when you flip that switch, you fry his brain?"

"I don't think anyone will notice," Nora snickered.

"Hey!" Jaune cried.

"And besides," Nora continued, ignoring Jaune, "Even if something goes wrong, he's got his aura, and I'm the one with the medical degree. He's in good hands."

"I still can't believe that," Jaune said. "How does someone like you have a medical degree?"

Nora glared at him. "I dunno. How does someone with your combat skills get accepted into Beacon?"

Jaune shrunk in his seat. "Touché," he muttered.

Ren shook his head. "We can't take the risk," he insisted. "And where did you get this chair from anyway? These are supposed to be outlawed."

"You remember that favour Roman Torchwick owed me?" Nora said.

"The one where you let him borrow your shampoo specifically for gingers? It was hard to forget."

"Well, this is it. This chair's the special edition as well. Comes with WiFi. Gives prisoners a chance to change their online status to dead before they fry."

Ren rolled his eyes. He loved Nora, but sometimes he wondered if that lightning strike scrambled some of her eggs when unlocking her semblance.

He crouched down to Jaune's level. "Jaune, you must know that this is a bad idea," he said. "I know you've been through a lot recently in trying to unlock your semblance, but don't you think this is going too far?"

To his relief, Jaune looked like what Ren was saying was making sense to him. "I'm running out of options here, Ren," Jaune said. "You think this was my first choice? I did try going to Pyrrha first before I asked Nora for help."

"Really? What did she say?"

"She said I was perfect the way I was, and that I didn't need a semblance to become an amazing hunter."

"Then what happened?"

"I ran out of the room crying and asked Nora for help."

"I see."

"I'm at my wit's end here, man. We've already tried everything else to unlock it, and I've heard stories of people discovering theirs under extreme circumstances. I'm desperate. Look how desperate I am! Look at me!"

There was an insane form of eagerness behind those eyes. He really was ready to do anything unlock his semblance. Some might call that brave. Ren called it suicidal.

Still, he had said something that caught Ren's interest.

"Well… we haven't tried _everything _yet," Ren said.

Jaune cocked his head. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I may have found a different way to unlock your semblance. A safer way, one that doesn't involve turning you into a light bulb."

"Pfft, no such way exists," Nora scoffed.

At least Jaune was looking hopeful at the prospect of staying alive. "Are you serious," he gasped, leaning forward in his chair. "How?"

"It's simple. With books."

"Books?"

That's right." Ren showed him all the books he had rented out. "Each one of these explores the mind and all its complexities. It will take a long time before you're able to absorb the knowledge completely. To do this, we will read for at least eight hours every day. You'll have to balance this in-between schoolwork and training. After each reading, I will test you to see how much you have learned. If you've missed even the slightest detail, you will study the book again. But take heart; when we are finished, I am certain you will unlock your semblance."

Jaune was silent, looking at all the books that were thicker than tree trunks. No doubt he was thrilled about the idea of discovering his true power in a safer, more intellectual way.

"We'll be reading for eight hours a day?" he asked quietly.

"Correct. This is pretty advanced stuff, so you'll probably have to take notes too."

"And how many books have you borrowed?"

"Thirty."

Jaune looked at Ren with a cold, blank stare. Then he looked up at Nora. "Hit the fucking switch, Nora."

* * *

**Tune in tomorrow for Issue 3, and get exclusive tickets to see the JSQFP movie. We got Nicholas Cage playing Weiss, it's gonna be great. **


	3. Chapter 3

**We're in the endgame now, folks. **

* * *

Jaune sat in the cafeteria, miserably slurping on his tomato soup. His tears dripping into it provided the salt.

Goodwitch's class was up next, otherwise known as 'everyone's excuse to show off their stupid special semblances' class. Maybe Pyrrha will rip the weapons out of someone's hands, or Weiss will summon glyphs to bounce around the room like a pinball?

And what will he do? Whimper like a schoolgirl. Except, the schoolgirls here didn't whimper because they had semblances. He was the only one wimpy enough to whimper, the wimp.

"Don't be down, Jaune," Pyrrha said warmly. "I know you haven't unlocked your semblance yet, but that doesn't mean you're worthless. Think of all the things you have that others don't."

"That's right. I've never had motion sickness before," Yang said.

"And no one else here is named Jaune," Ruby said.

Jaune slammed his face into his soup. The burning liquid couldn't thaw out the cold emptiness inside him.

What was wrong with his soul? Was it just naturally weak? Could he maybe upgrade it with points so that it was a little bit stronger? Could he exchange it with someone else, someone who wasn't a hunter? After all, a hunter needed a semblance more than someone who was, like, a taxi-driver or something.

"Let's what we've tried so far," Weiss suggested. "We've tried giving him a tragic backstory, mental torture, physical torture, drugs… we could try Ren's idea-"

"Never," Jaune bubbled from his soup bowl.

"Very well," Weiss sighed. "What about you, Pyrrha? How did you unlock your semblance?"

Pyrrha blushed. "Oh, well, you see… I've always known what my semblance was from such a young age. I didn't really need to unlock it. Like fighting, in just sort of came naturally."

Furious bubbles emitted from Jaune's soup.

"But don't let that stop you from trying to discover it," Pyrrha quickly followed up. "We just haven't found the right method yet. An opportunity will present itself, and when it does, I have no doubt that you'll-"

A cry of distress rang out in the food hall. Jaune's head briefly rose to see what the fuss was about.

Velvet Scarlatina was lying on the floor, food sprawled all over her. She looked scared. Her arms were hugging herself defensively. Standing over her were the dickheads of Team CRDL. They had stopped bullying Jaune a while ago, but it seems they hadn't quite gotten over their antics of picking on the defenceless just yet.

"Well, well, well," Cardin chuffed. "Did you have a nice trip, bunny freak? Hope you didn't hurt yourself too bad - we'd hate to have our work cut out for us."

"Yeah," Dove sneered. "What are you gonna do now, rabbit? Go cry to your animal family, and eat some carrots? Maybe hop back to your burrow and dig yourself a hole to piss yourself in? You big, floppy-eared, buck-toothed-"

"Yeah, alright, give it a rest, Dove," Cardin said. "We're racists, not stereotypes."

Velvet quivered on the ground. "Please," she pleaded. "I'm just an upperclassman with years of combat experience. I'm completely defenceless."

"That does it," Blake growled, rising out of her seat and walking over towards the bullies. "CRDL, I've put up with your bigotry for long enough! If you don't leave Velvet alone, I'm gonna-"

"BEEP!" Cardin shouted right in Blake's face.

Blake fell to the floor, rolling on the ground screaming.

Unbeknownst to everyone else, a storm was brewing inside of Jaune. What started as a little rain cloud when he saw CRDL walk in had now escalated into full-on hurricanes and lightning. Calmly and quietly, he rose from his seat, a hard expression on his face.

"What's he doing?" Ruby whispered.

"Ssh," Pyrrha hushed them.

Jaune walked with purpose, like a soldier going off to war, or an alcoholic heading to the pub. Determination, resolve, duty, all of these feelings flowed through him. But also something more, something he had never felt before. Whatever it was, it stemmed from his very core.

"Hey," he said to Cardin. His calm voice a gentle ripple in the chaotic ocean of his mind.

Cardin turned around and saw Jaune standing behind him. He smirked that damn cocky smile of his. "You got something you wanna say to me, Arc?"

That fool had no idea how much danger he was in.

Jaune's expression didn't waver. He spat out some soup on the ground. "You've got a pretty small memory, Winchester. I told you a long time ago never to pick on me or my friends. And that's exactly what you've gone and done- messed with the wrong girl."

Velvet looked up at him with a blush on her face. "Oh, Jaune, you're too kind-"

"I'm talking about Blake," Jaune said, not even looking at Velvet.

"Aww," Velvet pouted.

"But still, my male pride will not allow me to sit by while a female suffers at the hands of a couple of brutes. So, I will give you one last chance: turn around and walk away."

Secretly, Jaune was hoping Cardin and his goons would ignore his warning. There was a new sensation coursing through his veins like electricity from Nora's chair. He felt his soul being uplifted, his mind becoming locked and focused. It felt like he had been living his whole life for this one singular moment. And now it was here, he knew exactly what he had to do.

"Or what?" Cardin said. There was a challenging glint in his eyes.

_Perfect. _

Jaune felt like a bomb ready to burst. His body was a battery, channelling power to every fibre of his being. He could feel himself tingling. The air vibrated around him.

Now it was his turn to smile. "I was hoping you'd say that," he grinned. He enjoyed the way CRDL seemed to back away from him. "Prepare yourself, cause it's about to get crazy up in here."

From the sidelines, RWBY and NPR watched in awe. "What's he talking about?" Yang murmured.

"Look at his eyes," Weiss breathed. "Something's different about them. It's like they're… glowing."

If Jaune could see his own face, he would've noticed the light beaming out of his eyes. His body could no longer contain the sheer _power _inside him. Steam was rising from his body. His energy needed to be unleashed.

He felt the final bars of the cage that imprisoned his soul snap. Finally free, his spirit rose to the surface, giving him that final push he needed to release his true potential. This was his moment. There could be no doubt about it.

He had finally unlocked his semblance!

With a victorious roar, a burst of light exploded within him. Everyone covered their eyes to avoid being blinded. When their vision returned, they would see Jaune Arc for the hero he was destined to be. The man with the power, who would finally be able to walk among them as equals.

[/]

Nobody was quite sure what they were looking at.

A minute ago, Jaune was standing in front of them talking in a weird voice, and looking a bit heroic. Then an explosion of light happened, followed by a dust cloud. When the room was clear again, things seemed pretty normal. No one was hurt, nothing was broken. It was way better than the last time something dramatic happened in the cafeteria.

Except Jaune had disappeared. And in his place was... a punching bag.

The punching bag was the same height as Jaune, wore his school uniform, it even had a mop of yellow hair resting on the top of it. It stood tall and motionless where Jaune had once been standing.

"Uh… what just happened?" Nora asked.

"I think… I think Jaune turned into a punching bag…" Pyrrha murmured.

"Why would he do that?" Ruby said.

"I have no idea. Unless…"

CRDL approached the bag cautiously. "I dunno why there's a punching bag here now," Cardin said. "But for some reason… I don't wanna hurt Velvet anymore. I wanna hit this thing now."

"I agree," Russel said. "It's powerless aura is rather inviting to my fists. It's as if it's speaking out to my aggression, diverting my anger towards it instead."

"My daddy always told me to hit my problems," Sky said. "And right now, this bag is looking like a mighty fine solution."

"Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do." Cardin cracked his knuckles. "Let's do this, boys."

The four of them began beating the stuffing out of the Jaune-looking punching bag. Cardin uppercut it into the air, Russel slashed it with his mohawk, Sky delivered lightning-fast kicks to it, Dove sat on it. The bullies unleashed all of their pent-up aggression towards bunny girls onto the bag.

Every time they stopped for breath, the punching bag immediately recovered from all the scuffs and dings it had received from them, inviting them to have another go. The boys graciously accepted it with another round of punches and kicks.

Pyrrha was elated by what she was seeing. "I understand now!" she beamed. "This is what he's been working towards! This is Jaune's semblance!"

"Jaune's semblance is to turn into a punching bag, and have the crap beaten out of him?" Yang frowned.

"It's so much deeper than that," Pyrrha explained. "All his life, he wanted to be a defender of the weak, a shield for the innocent. He told me that during one of our training sessions. He wanted to be the one who would protect the defenceless from those that would harm them. Don't you see? This is exactly what he wanted! He's finally achieved his destiny! It's glorious!"

As the rest of the gang watched Jaune getting smacked around by CRDL, they noticed that the bullies had completely ignored their previous victim. Jaune had their full attention now, absorbing all their blows and bouncing back for more.

"I can't believe I didn't see it until now," Ren gasped. "You're right, Pyrrha. This is truly what he's been striving towards. This is brilliant."

"Woohoo, look at our leader go!" Nora cheered. "That's right, Jaune, take those hits! You can take anything those guys throw at you! Show 'em how strong you are!"

"What a noble thing to do, absorbing their aggression," Weiss nodded. "How very commendable."

"Do you think he's okay with this?" Blake asked. "It's not like he has a mouth to voice his concerns."

"Course he's fine with this," Yang said. "Let him have his moment, Blake. He's just unlocked his semblance, after all. If you step in now, you'll ruin it for him."

"I suppose you're right."

After ten minutes, CRDL stopped beating up the Jaune bag. Exhausted, they all went back to their room, looking forward to the next time they'd be able to punch him again. Velvet picked herself up off the floor and ran over to him.

"Thank you for saving me, Jaune!" she cried. She wrapped her arms around the bag and gave it a big squeeze. "Hmm, actually, you are pretty punchable. Mind if I get in a few licks too?"

The bag did not respond, because bags don't have mouths.

"I knew you'd understand," she smiled, before proceeding to rough him up faunus style.

"Look at him," Pyrrha sighed dreamily. "Even after all that, he still helps others around him. He's so perfect. I… I think I might faint."

"Aw yeah! You're so cool, Jaune!" Ruby whooped.

"We're so happy for you, Jaune!" Nora raved.

While the others cheered and sang praises to his name, Jaune grumbled silently in his burlap sack of a prison.

So, this was it, eh? This was his semblance?

Talk about bad luck of the draw. Oh sure, he recovered quickly from every strike, but it still hurt every time he got hit. The worst part was, he had no way of changing back to normal willingly. He remembered hearing once that once someone ran out of aura, they couldn't use their semblance anymore.

He was often grateful to have such a large aura reserve.

This was not one of those times!

"I've just figured out your superhero name!" Ruby told him. "No longer will you called Vomit Boy! From this day on, Jaune, you shall be known as… Mr Target Practice!"

Thanks, Ruby. Thanks…

* * *

**To be continued... **

* * *

The End.

* * *

**Wow, that was quick. **


End file.
